october is BLack history month
As we enter October, we are celebrating Black History Month. This year’s theme is Saluting our Sisters.
If you are interested, you can find out more here: Join us in ‘Saluting Our Sisters’ and the #WEMATTER movement during Black History Month 2023 – Black History Month 2023
WBCA will be launching our celebrations this week with assemblies led by Mr Smith.
We will also be having a special event in the canteen where our talented catering staff will be producing some amazing food to celebrate Black History Month (we will let you know the date of this ASAP!)
Poetry Competition
In addition, we are launching a poetry competition for ALL students, alongside the national competition being run by the Black History Month Magazine.
We would love as many students as possible to write their own poems to celebrate Black History Month.
This year’s theme, “Saluting Our Sisters,” aims to illuminate the incredible contributions and unwavering spirit of black women.
We want you to learn about and celebrate black women who have made significant contributions in various fields. You can submit a poem about a pioneering black woman who has made an impact in their chosen field, explaining why she is an inspiration to you.
Remember, the poems don’t have to be about famous people; they can be about members of your family, women who have inspired you in your community, or even about you and your experiences as a woman or young person. We want you to get creative and have fun with it!
There are 2 elements to the competition:
Academy Competition:
Firstly, we are running an Academy poetry competition.
We would like you to write a poem celebrating the contributions of black women and then hand this into Mrs Parkes, in the Library by Monday 23rd October 2023.
Prizes for the poems which are judged to be the best will be either a £30, £20 or £10 Amazon voucher if you are judged to be in first, second or third place by our in house judges. The winners will be revealed by Friday 27th October (the day we break up for half term).
National Competition:
You can also choose to enter the national Black History Month competition with your poem.
If you do this (which we would love you to do!) then you will need your parents permission, as you have to enter online.
The competition is open to primary, secondary, college, and university students across the UK, and there will be separate categories for each level.
The competition will be judged by a panel of experts in literature and poetry, with winners announced on world poetry day is celebrated on 21 March 2024. In addition to the publication of the winning poems, the top 32 poems will also be printed in a publication, providing further recognition for the poets and their works.
Here is more information about the national competition: Black History Month Poetry Competition 2023 – Black History Month 2023
Here is the link to where you would submit your entry to the national competition, which has to be done by 15th November: Poetry Competition Entry – Black History Month 2023 Remember – if you do this, you need to make sure that you have your parent / carer’s permission.
I hope that you will all join us in celebrating Black History Month this October.
If you have any other suggestions for how you would like to celebrate Black History Month, then please pass them onto your School Council Reps, or speak to your Form Tutor / subject teachers or come and have a conversation with me!
Mrs Percival
